One of every 3 American over the age of 60 suffers from osteoarthritis. It is a natural wear and tear of joint cartilage. As we age, the body's ability to make the protein Type II Collagen slows down. This is the protein needed to maintain and rebuild cartilage tissue. Collagen is a complex structural protein, which provides strength and flexibility to all connective tissues. Collagen is a major component of muscles, tendons, cartilage, ligaments, joints and blood vessels. There are four main types of collagen: II, III, IV, and I. Type I and III are primarily found in skin, tendon and bone. In contrast, collagen type II is found predominately in articulator cartilage. Collagen is an unusual protein, in that the proportion of glycine residues is nearly one-third which is unusually high. Proline is also present to a much greater extent in collagen that in most other proteins. Moreover, collagen contains two amino acids, 4-hydroxyprolineand 5-hydroxylysine, that are found in very few other proteins. The amino acid sequence of collagen is remarkably regular, nearly every third amino acid is glycine. In addition, the sequence of glycine-proline-hydroxyproline recurs frequently. In contrast, globular proteins rarely exhibit regularities in their amino acid sequences (Stryer, L., Biochemistry, Third Edition, W. H. Freeman and Co., New York, 1988, pp.262).
In 1986, collagen was sold for the first time in the United States for use as a food Supplement. Collagen (a mixture of Types I and Type III) was extracted from calf skin tissue, and prepared in powder form for use as a dietary supplement.
In 1987, the composition was sold compressed into 1,000 mg. tablets which comprised collagen powder and 10 mg. Vitamin C.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,745 to Koepff et al. Discloses agents containing collagen peptides produced by enzymatic hydrolysis for the treatment of degenerative joint diseases. These peptides can be obtained from animal skin, animal bones and other sufficiently purified connective tissue and have average molecular weights of between 30 and 45 kilodaltons.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,347 to Trentham et al. And Trentham et al. (Science 261:1727-1729, 1993) disclose the effective treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with water-soluble whole chick collagen type II or biologically active peptides derived therefrom. The mechanism by which the effect is believed to occur is via oral tolerization.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,845 to Henderson discloses a therapeutic composition and method for the protection, treatment and repair of connective tissue in mammals. This composition comprises glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate and manganese ascorbate. U.S. Pat. No. 5,587,363 to Henderson discloses a therapeutic composition and method for the protection, treatment and repair of connective tissue in mammals which includes aminosugars and glycosaminoglycans.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,327 to Alkayali discloses a therapeutic composition and method for the protection, treatment and repair of joint cartilage in mammals. This composition comprises hydrolyzed collagen type II water—soluble, denatured collagen type II obtained from chicken sternal cartilage.
The demand for compositions suitable for prevention of degenerative joint disease will surpass the demand of arthritis treatment. The present invention addressed this need.